The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has warned that Nigeria may struggle to sustain progress in HIV prevention if adolescents and young people are not prioritized in the design and implementation of harm reduction programs.
Call for Youth-Centered Interventions
IHVN's Lead for Prevention and Key Populations, Comfort Ochigbo, stated in Abuja that while interventions targeting adults remain important, greater attention must be given to young people facing growing risks linked to drug use, HIV infection, stigma, and limited access to care.
According to her, harm reduction focuses on protecting the health and safety of young people rather than punishing them for drug use. “Harm reduction services such as clean needle programs, HIV testing, counseling, and medication-assisted treatment help reduce these risks and prevent overdose deaths,” she said, adding that medicines like naloxone can reverse opioid overdose and save lives.
Rising Drug Use Among Youth
Ochigbo noted that increasing drug use among young Nigerians has exposed the need for broader prevention strategies beyond conventional HIV testing and counseling services. Citing findings from the 2018 World Drug Use Survey, she said more than 14 million Nigerians use drugs, with young people accounting for a significant proportion.
She observed that age-related barriers, stigma, and discrimination continue to prevent many young people from accessing life-saving services. “At IHVN, we are advocating to ensure that no one is denied harm reduction services because of age, stigma or identity,” she said.
Integrated Service Delivery
Ochigbo explained that the organization is promoting integrated service delivery through the Minimum Package of Prevention Interventions (MPPI) to ensure coordinated and comprehensive prevention services across national institutions. She also called for increased investment in prevention programs, noting that prevention funding accounts for only about nine percent of total health investments in the country.
The IHVN official stressed the need for structured rehabilitation systems through stronger collaboration among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, including the Ministries of Youth and Sports as well as Women Affairs. According to her, IHVN is expanding economic empowerment, education, and skills development initiatives while strengthening gender-based violence prevention and response systems to support the reintegration of people who use drugs into society.
Scaling Up Harm Reduction
“We cannot end HIV without protecting young people, and we cannot protect young people without scaling up harm reduction interventions,” she said. Ochigbo added that harm reduction should not be viewed as encouraging risky behavior but as an opportunity to expand access to care, support, and healthier choices.
She disclosed that over 300 clients have enrolled in the institute’s Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program since it began as a pilot initiative in Gombe State. The intervention, she said, targets young people and other vulnerable groups exposed to higher risks of HIV, hepatitis, and other health complications.
Program Achievements
To strengthen the response, IHVN integrated additional interventions into its harm reduction program, including the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP), Opioid Substitution Therapy, and the use of naloxone for overdose reversal. Ochigbo described behavioral change among beneficiaries as one of the program’s major achievements, noting that many young people now enroll voluntarily or through peer referrals.
She added that although some beneficiaries may not stop drug use immediately, the program helps them adopt safer behaviors, access treatment and support, rebuild family relationships, and gradually return to productive lives.
